The controversial "battle"
concerning "the Blue Jacket story" has been shrouded in uncertainty for years. Even
publication of a revised editon of BANKS OF THE WABASH
ISBN 978-09616282-3-9 (2007),
with documentation showing the Kispotha born Shawnee War Chief could not have been Marmaduke Van Swearingen, alias
the "Blue Jacket"alleged to have killed his own brother, Charles, didn't dampen the conviction of some who
insist they are related to Blue Jacket. Understandably proud they might be related
to the Shawnee War Chief, and despite facts to the contrary, some still insist the life
sap of a white man flowed in the veins of Blue Jacket. The "story" robs Blue Jacket of his birthright.
But now perhaps modern science has fired the last shot--the coup d'etat! DNA
(deoxy- ribonucleic acid) tests indicate Blue Jacket and Marmaduke Swearingen could
not have been the same person. In June of 2000 Dr. Dan E. Krane, a Professor of Biology at Wright
State University, and a recognized DNA expert in more than 18 states, expressed a 99.9% confidenc
in genetic tests using samples from male descendants of both lineages.
So how did "the story" get started? More than twenty years of research indicates "thestory"
has its roots in a self-serving and unsupported genealogical "letter to the editor" by68 year old Thomas Jefferson Larsh
of Eaton, Ohio which was published February 15,1877in THE DAILY OHIO STATE JOURNAL at Columbus, Ohio. Although repeated in both the1884 and 1894 editions
of THE FAMILY REGISTER OF GERRET VAN SWERINGEN AND DESCENDANTS
and TRANSACTIONS OF THE KANSAS STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY--1907-08 (Volume X),"the story" first gained wide-spread regional recognition in 1943 whenjohn Bennett published his BLUE JACKET WAR CHIEF OF THE SHAWNEES.
His accountwas contrary to what a military acquaintance, M/Sgt Donald Eugene Bluejacket(1923-1963),told me in 1945.
Saying he was a direct descendant of Chief Blue Jacket, Donald insisted"the story" that his progenitor was
a white man was not true. On June 25th, 2000 Robert Denton Bluejacket of Tulsa, Oklahoma, a descendant of Chief Blue
Jacket, sent a letter toAllan W. Eckert in Bellefontaine, Ohio saying he "had no white blood
in his veins" and challenged Eckert to provide the source of his tale of fratricide in THE FRONTIERSMEN(1967) prefaced
as "fact, not fiction." The outdoor drama east of Xenia, Ohio titled "BLUEJACKET''portrays the same historically inaccurate
tale which tarnishes the memory of theCaptain Van Sweringen who died in the service of our country. A very sad commentary
on respect for our nation's honored dead. Prefaced as "true," on page 5
of Allan Eckert's BLUE JACKET, WAR CHIEF OF THESHAWNEES (1969) a footnote wrongly states "the Van Sweringen cabin was located nearpresent
day Richwood, West Virginia." Fact is John Swearingen's homestead was locatedwest of Morris Crossroads
northeast of present day Point Marion, Pennsylvania. And hereMarmaduke Swearingen, not Marmaduke Van Swearingen,
disappeared---his family neverheard from him again. And no one else did either.
In 1916 the Pennsylvania Commission to locate Pioneer Forts located and marked thesite of Fort Swearingen built
ca 1774 on the John Swearingen property which is located along present day Route #119
west of Hope Hollow Road. Here John Swearingen made his Last Will and Testament on August 3, 1784
bequeathing to his son Marmonduke (sic) useof a slave for one year. Hardly the bequeath of a
person whose son is said to have been captured by Indians years before. John and
Catherine (Stull) Swearingen brought theirfamily west to this site in 1771 when Marmaduke was eight years
old. Marmaduke was born near Hagerstown, Maryland January 2, 1763.
According to transcribed records of the SUFFERING TRADERS contained in Kenneth P. Bailey's "THE OHIO COMPANY
PAPERS, 1753-1817" (1947), one of the
Native Amer-icans (page 99) at the mouth of the Scioto River in 1752 was called "Blue Jacket." And
Reverend Jones, a missionary, visited the Scioto River area in the winter of 1772-1773and
reported having visited in late January 1773 "an
Indian village the English called 'BlueJacket's Town.'" Born of a Kispotha mother, the Native American called "Blue Jacket"
is said to have "married" a captured white girl from Virginia named Margaret Moore and was the father
of two children called "Joseph Moore" and "Nancy." In-depth research in- dicates both of the children
were proven "half bloods." Biologically, two whites would not have mixed blood children.
Think about it! Documentation concerning the above remarks and conclusions is contained in BANKSOF THE WABASH (Revised 2007) ISBN 978-09616282-3-9